Wood meter



Dec.

H. G. CRAM WOOD METER Filed y 9, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 E I li Eili] Patented Dec. 12, 1933 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE] i Ists'o Y wool) METER Hervey Cram, BucksporL Maine, assignor to Maine Seaboard Paper Company, Bucksport, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application -May 9, 1932. Serial No. 610,042

2 Claims.

This invention relates to wood measuring devices and the object is to provide a device particularly adaptable for use by paper mills in measuring cord wood as it is consumed in the process of paper manufacturing. For this purpose it may be conveniently'organized as an attachment to or part of the grinder by which the wood is reduced to pulp.

My invention will be well understood by reference to the following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings, wherein:-

Fig. 1 is a view of a pulp grinder, partly in side elevation and partly in section;

Fig. 2 is a section on an enlarged scale through one of the magazines of the grinder showing the measuring device;

Fig. 3 is an end elevation of some of the parts shown in Fig. 2 as seen from the right; and

Fig. 4 is a plan corresponding to Fig. 2.

It is usual and necessary in pulp mills to have a large supply of wood on hand, amounting to many thousands of cords. t is difiicult to measure or estimate the quantity of stored wood with any accuracy and therefore it is desirable or necessary to measure the wood consumed. Herein I have disclosed means by which this may be accurately and conveniently accomplished by suitable mechanism associated with the grinder which reduces it to pulp.

Referring to Fig. l, I have there showna pulp grinder of the magazine type embodying the rotating stone 5 to which the wood is fed through the vertical magazine 7 extending through the loading floor 11 above from which they are filled. As best seen in Fig. 4, one dimension of the magazine corresponds to the length of the logs or billets of wood and the wood gravitates down therethrough as a column or pile of logs to the stoneb. The

1 lower portion of this column is pressed against the stone by means of the hydraulically operated plunger 13 which is withdrawn from time 'to time to permit a new portion of the column to fall in front thereof.

The cross section of the magazine being known, it is obvious that an accurate measurement of the length or height of the column which actually passes through the magazine will be proportional to the cord measure of the wood. Such accurate measurement is accomplished by the mechanism which I am about to describe.

In the preferred form of mechanism herein illustrated I mount a shaft 15 in suitable bearings 17 on the side of magazine 7, which'shaft carries a sprocket 19 projecting into the magazine as seen in Fig. 2. Depending arms 21 are mounted to swing on shaft 15 and at their lower'endsupport the shaft of a cooperating sprocket 23. Trained about the sprockets is a band, herein in the form of a chain 25 provided with spikes 2'7. One run 0 of the chain is thus presented to the wood within the magazine and it is preferably supported against lateral deflection between the sprockets by means of the guide 29 which may be carried by the arms 31 projecting from the swinging arms 5 21. In the normal position of the parts as shown in full lines in Fig. 1, the teeth of the chain are presented to the column of wood within the magazine throughout a substantial length and the run of the chain extends substantially tangential- 7 ly to a plurality of the logs or billets moving along the'guides 33 (see Fig. 4). The chain is supported in this position by means of the springs 35 cooperating with the lower ends of the swinging arms 21 and which tend to force the chain to the 7g dotted line position of Fig. 2 for a purpose to be described. The chain 25 is driven by the column of wood as it gravitates downwardly in the magazine and the travel thereof thus measures the length of the column. Herein the travel of the 30: chain is registered by counting the revolutions of sprocket 19, the shaft 15 thereof being provided with the eccentric wrist pin 37 which operates connecting rod 39 which actuates the counter 41 (see Fig.3). The connecting rod and counter have been omitted in Fig. 4.

The length of chain moved measures the height of the column of wood since, as it is extended in a right line substantially tangent to a plurality of the logs or billets, it cannot follow any surface irregularities of the column so as to cause an excess measurement. Other errors which have occurred in measuring devices as previously proposed are also avoided. It will be understood that there are occasions when the wood will v bind in the magazine forming an arch in the bottom section of the magazine and causing a void as the stone consumes the wood beneath this arch; In practice as soon as an operator discovers that an arch has formed, he opens a door in theside of the magazine and breaks this arch down, at which time the upper section of the column in the magazine falls, possibly a considerable distance. The length of the run of chain exposed to the column, however, is such 1.05 that a portion of the wood will always be in contact with the chain. There is thus no possibility of the columns leavingthe face of the chain entirely, possibly causing it to spin, giving a false measurement. Moreover, I have provided for yieldingly mounting the chain as above described to provide for the possibility that in breaking down such an arch the center of the column may tend to drop more rapidly, relieving the pressure of the wood against the lateral guides so that the wood may fall away from the guides momentarilyn If such occurs, the chain will swing to the dotted line position of Fig. 2 under the infiuence of the springs 35 and continue to make contact with the descending column. Preferably the length of the chain in contact with the column of wood is made greater than the height or depth of the plunger 13 so that when the latter is withdrawn to permit a new section of the bottom of the column of wood to fall in front of it, there is no danger of the woods leaving the face of the chain causing spinning subsequent to the rapid fall of the descending section.

I am aware that the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof, and I therefore desire the present embodiment to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive; reference being had to the appended said run to the column, and means for registering the travel of the band.

2. In awood measuring device, in combination with a passageway through which a column of Wood in log or billet form is advanced, idlers mounted at the side of the passageway, a toothed band on said idlers having a run thereof between the idlers presented to the column, yielding means normally tending to swing the lower idler and with it the lower end of the band into the passageway and means for registering the travel of the band.

HERVEY G. CRAM. 

